Microsoft Jordan has hosted Dr. Ashraf Abdel Wahab, Microsoft’s Corporate Affairs Manager for Egypt & North Africa, as a keynote speaker during a media roundtable that took place on Monday 12 May, 2014, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Amman. Held in the presence of a group of local media representatives and several Microsoft Jordan employees, the event was geared towards promoting cloud computing in Jordan and the region.

During the media roundtable, Dr. Abdel Wahab discussed various cloud computing privacy and security issues, and highlighted Microsoft’s efforts in the area of enhancing cloud safety for governments, companies and individuals alike.

Furthermore, Dr. Abdel Wahab shared the four main pillars of Microsoft’s cloud computing strategy in the region. These include: Helping governments adopt and benefit from could computing services; maximizing the value of cloud computing services in large enterprises; facilitating could computing services to small and medium enterprises (SME); and establishing an extensive local partner network of could computing services providers. Additionally, Dr. Abdel Wahab touched on Microsoft’s strategy to present cloud computing services that facilitate the creation and implementation of flexible solutions that cater to the diverse requirements of different entities, whether through building local cloud computing systems, utilizing public cloud computing services or combining both under what is known as the National Cloud.

Dr. Abdel Wahab also explained, “Microsoft is currently working with several governments across the region to build a cloud-based infrastructure on a national level, as well as to draft laws and policies that cover the legal, contractual and data sovereignty aspects of cloud computing.” “In recent years, cloud computing has revolutionized the way information technology is used and managed, subsequently improving cost and time efficiency, accelerating innovation and enhancing operational flexibility. As such, it is essential that we combine efforts towards encouraging increased adoption of cloud computing across both the public and private sectors,” he added.

In turn, Microsoft Jordan Country Manager, Hussein Malhas, commented, “Organizing this event is closely aligned with Microsoft Jordan’s commitment to supporting the Government of Jordan’s national strategy aimed at raising awareness on the importance of deploying advanced technology innovations within various public and private sector organizations to ensure optimum productivity and efficiency levels. Cloud computing provides enhanced data security and privacy, thus enabling users to safely utilize the Internet for both personal and professional uses.”